These days, getting a great guitar below the $500 mark is easier than ever, and the Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Thinline is one of my favorites. It’s already great value at its RRP, but now it’s got a tasty $136 discount at Guitar Center, giving you a superb instrument for under $360.
In our Squier Classic Vibe '70s Telecaster Thinline review, we praised it for its versatility of tone, robust hardware, and impressive finish. It’s a stunning-looking instrument and the perfect alternative for those who already have a Strat or Tele-style guitar and want something a little different from the norm.
The original Thinline Tele was designed as an antidote to the stocks of heavy ash that the original Telecaster was made from. It shows here, as this Tele is incredibly lightweight, meaning you’ll hardly feel it even if you’re playing a two-hour-long, multi-set show.
As you might imagine, it’s a very vintage-inspired guitar, so that means period-correct headstock markings, vintage-style hardware, and a tinted, glossy neck. Not everyone loves a glossy neck, but we didn’t find any issue with the playability, and the typical ‘C’ Fender profile with a 9.5” radius fingerboard feels fantastic.
The two wide-range humbuckers are really articulate and played through a tube amp delivered a surprisingly bright tone for a ‘bucker. It still has that oomph that you get from a double coil, but there’s an overarching brightness that will be familiar to anyone who regularly uses single-coil pickups.
The neck pickup, meanwhile, is very round, the polar opposite of the bridge position. It delivers a really warm tone and, combined with the resonance of the semi-hollow body, gives you some lovely mellow sounds. It’s a guitar that will surprise you with its tonal character and is more versatile than you might think.
Our review model was finished and set up beautifully, delivering extra value for money. There was no need to adjust the action or intonation, and despite an in-depth inspection, we could find no hint of bad finishing or poor hardware application anywhere. It’s already a great value guitar at full price, so with the additional discount, it’s one of the best deals I’ve seen on a guitar this year.
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